Propeller shaft mounting



April 5, 1938. D. .1. DESCHAMPS PROPELLER SHAFT MOUNTING Filed March 28, 1934 Patented Apr. 5, i939;

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Deaohamnllollne, halftolewisvonwelseandlllenlacobi meatersoftheestateoflhlleaalhdeeeaaed Application nach es. im, saisi No. 111,105

I Ghini. (Cl. 808-189) 'This invention pertains to a mounting structure for a propeller shaft. Bra propeller shaft as used in this specification and the appended claims. is meant a drive for support in overhanging relation withreference to a bearing to carry a load mounted thereon outside of the bearingand subject to vibration stresses. The structurehas been designed more particularly for the propeller shafts of airplanes, but it m may be applied to other 'types of shafts operating under similar conditions'. v

In the mounting of a shaftI of this type. a bearing is placed to support the shaft just inside of its load, such as a propeller, and the shaft proi5 jects beyond the bearing and carries the load in cantilever relation. As such a load is almost invariably subject to vibration, that portion of the shaft between the load and thebearing is subject to stresses set up by such vibration, which zo may, under certain cfbc very great. In order to secure the shaft with relation to its bearing. various types of attachments have been used, most of which involve threading the 30 or undercuttings. Such cracks increase in depth under continued vibration and eventually the shaft fails, often 'with serious or fatal results.

0ne of the objects of this invention. therefore. is to provide a mounting of this type in which threadingthe shaft and similarly undercuttins the same may be avoided.

Another object is to provide a mounting which is simplein construction, having few parts, and which may be securely lockedl in place.

Further objects will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure Y1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mounting for an airplane propeller embodying this inventiomand FlgureZisatransversesectiononline-lof Figure 1. Referring to the drawing, i designates the housing or engine frame. in which the shaft is mounted. suitably seated in the frame l is a bearing 2, which in the structure shown is a ball bearing. This bearing is seated against a suitable shoulder 3 formed on or attached'to the propeller shaft l. The shaft l is usually hollow, the bore thereof being indicated at l. Its outer end I is usually provided with spuned moves 1 adapted to keythepropeller hub Oagainstrotationthere- Inordertosecure thebearingfinitsseat against the shoulder 8, a shoulder 0 is formed on the shaft I by providing a reduced portion Il in the periphery of the shaft. The shoulder l joins the reduced portion il by a fillet of ample radius so as to avoid a sudden change of section'. which might tend to produce a crack. Arranged to seat in the reduced portion or grooveil is a split sleeve Ii. This sleeve ls split diametrically so as to provide, whenassembled, a ring embracing the shaft 4 at the reduced portion il. This sleeve is provided on its outer surface with threads Il. A nut i3, is arranged tobe threaded on thesleeve ii so astobescrewedupinto abutment with the bearing 2 andV to force the latter against the shoulder I. When the sleeve ii has been assembled onf-the shaft, the nut lspwhen screwed thereon, retains the sleeve Il in assembled relatiom When the nut I8 is screwed up against the bearing. the sleeve I i is forced against the shoulder l. This sleeve. therefore. provides an anchor engaging this shoulder and' retained thereby, while the nut provid means braced against this anchor and which is provided with a shoulder I l, which may be strained against the bearing 2. Thenut il may be provided with an outer cylindrical surface iliitting the bore oi' the retaining ring II which secures the bearing 2 in the frame I. Suitable packing grooves I1 may be provided to prevent the escape of oli from the housing.

In order to lock the nut il against unscrewing from the sleeve il, certain of the splined grooves ance with prior practice. as such holes have been found to have a tendency to start cracks. The extensions Il have a gradually tapering depth toward the rear. so that there is no sudden change of section in the shaft material. Accordingly the tendency to produce cracks is greatly diminished,

dog so as to secure the sleeve Il against rotation when screwing up the nut I3. v

It will be seen that this invention provides a structure wherebythe shaft maybe securely fixed in its bearing 2 without the necessity-of undercutting the shaft in such a manner as to provide sudden changes of cross-section and the consequent vtendency to produce cracks and thereby invite failure of the shaft. 'I'he sleeve Il provides a simple form of anchor which may be assembled around the shaft and which seats against the shoulder l. The latter shoulder has fillets on both sides and the sleeve il is arranged to fit the fillet on the inward side'. The nut I3 then provides means which may be braced against the anchor il and.which 'may be forced rearwardly to abut the bearing 2 and retain the latter securely in place on the shaft. l

Itds not indispensable that the sleeve I I should iit exactly between the shoulder l and inner race of the bearing 2. In fact, it is advantageous to allow a substantial clearance here. 'This avoids the necessity of a selective fit" between these parts which is always bothersome and expensive in production work.' The anchor sleeve .Ii and the nut I3, acting in combination, provide adjustable means which may be braced against the shoulder 9 and adjusted to bear against the bearing 2 so as to lock these parts securely inv out reference to other features or the complete combination. It is'understood that the use of such individual features or sub-combinations isv contemplated by thisinvention and is within the scope of the appended claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, in the detailsI of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention; it is to be understood, there-rv fore, that this invention is not limited to the speclilo details shown`and/or described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A propeller mounting comprising, in combination, a supporting frame. a shaft-supporting bearing therein, a propeller-shaft mounted in said bearing and having a hub-receiving portion extending outwardly from said bearing and unsupported therebeyond, said outwardly extending portion'of` said shaft having a shoulder betweensaid bearing and said hub-receiving portion, said shoulder rising from the body of saidA shaft by rounded fillets, said shaft being free of sharp changes in diameter'in the regions outwardly of said bearing, a split collar embracing said shaft betweensaid bearing and said shoulder so as to bear against the latter, and a retaining sleeve surrounding said collar to retain the same in assembled relation and braced against said collar and said bearing.

outstanding from said shaft beyond the normal diameter of said outwardly extending portion between said bearing and said hub-receiving portion, an externally threaded split collar embracing said shaft between said bearing and said shoulder so as to bear against the latter, a retaining sleeve threaded on said collar and braced against said collar and said bearing, and means engaging said key means to lock said retaining sleeve.

3. A propeller mounting comprising in combination, a supporting frame, a shaft-supporting bearing therein, a propeller shaft mounted in said bearing and having ahub-receiving portion extending outwardly from said bearing and unsupported therebeyond, a shoulder outstanding from said shaft beyondA the normaldiameter oi said outwardly extending portion between said bearing and said hub-receiving portion, said shoulder'rising from the body of said shaft by a rounded fillet, whereby the shaft is free from sharp changes in diameter in the regions outwardly of the bearing, and retaining means for said bearing braced againstxsaid shoulder.

4. A propeller mounting comprising, in combination, a supporting frame, a shaft-supporting bearing therein. a propeller shaft mounted in said bearing andhavinga hub-receiving portion extending outwardly from said bearing and unsupported therebeyond, a shoulder outstanding from said shaft beyond the normal diameter of said outwardly extending portion between saldbearing and said sub-receiving portion, butsized to pass through said bearing said shoulder rising from`fthe body of said shaft by a rounded illlet,

whereby the shaft is free lfrom sharp changes in diameter in the regions outwardly of the bearing, land retaining means for said bearing braced against said shoulder. f

5. In an air-craft power plant, in combination a supporting bearing, a propeller shaft mounted in Ysaid bearing and extending outwardly therebeyond to receive a propeller, the outwardly extending portion of said shaft having a lleted shoulder rising therefrom, said outwardly 

